Papua New Guinea

85% of the population lives in hard to reach rural areas with little or no public services.

people in Papua New Guinea don't have access to safe water.

6 million people don't have access to adequate sanitation in Papua New Guinea, over half of the population.

Over 450 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea in the Pacific region is one of the most culturally diverse countries on the planet, but it is also one of the poorest.

The crisis

Access to clean drinking water and sanitation is an issue for over half of Papua New Guinea's population, many of whom live in remote, rural locations that are hard to reach with essential services.

There is low access to education in rural areas, and a widespread lack of understanding about the importance of toilets and basic hygiene practices to health. Diarrhoeal diseases are common.

The annual monsoon season is often followed by periods of drought, so seasonal water shortages are commonplace. Periodically the country also suffers from severe droughts caused by the El Niño effect, the last one being in 1998.

Our approach

In Papua New Guinea we work with local partner organisations to provide essential water and sanitation services using simple, low-cost technologies.

We work with schools to ensure students and teachers have water points and basic toilets, allowing them to focus on their school work. We also promote the need for hand-washing and good menstrual hygiene practices.

We use films and radio programmes to spread awareness of the difference that safe water, good hygiene and sanitation can make, and we call upon the country's decision-makers to prioritise these basic human rights.

Our impact

In Papua New Guinea last year we reached:

4,000 people with safe water

3,000 people with improved sanitation.

Country details

Capital: Port Moresby

Population: 8 million

Area: 462,840 km2

Other Main Cities: Daru, Wewak, Madang, Raboul

Easy access to safe water

The new taps will help me a lot. They will give me time to look after my children and earn money for their education.

Rita

Age 35, Kombagora village, Papua New Guinea

Rita lives in Kombagora village, which is situated atop a steep, narrow ridge in the mountains. Up to three times a day, she and other women and children had to make the dangerous journey down to the creek to collect water, often barefoot and in darkness.

Rita explained that children and older people often got sick from drinking this dirty water. During these times she would have to collect even more water herself, leaving her little time to care for sick family members.

WaterAid has worked with a local partner to install a gravity flow water system that provides spring water from seven taps in the village. As well as improving health, this easy access to safe water will give people in the community the freedom to earn a living or get an education.